Nine UALR faculty and staff members have completed the inaugural class of “Sustainable Systems At Work,” a five-part educational discussion course designed to further organizational sustainability initiatives.

The program, designed by the Northwest Earth Institute and facilitated by Shelley Green of the Arkansas Earth Institute, “inspires innovation and creates alignment between employee actions and organizational objectives.”

Weekly topics included energy use, waste reduction, transportation, water conservation, and food choices.

UALR faculty and staff who completed the course are Chuck Werninger, director of Printing Services; Micah Sukany, library technician at the Ottenheimer Library; Linda Stipsky, reference assistant at the Ottenheimer Library; Joan Reed, program coordinator in nursing; Leslie Coop, chemistry lab manager; Suzette Probst, assistant business manager in purchasing; Vince Rogers, plant safety in Physical Plant; Lee Davis, warehouse manager in Facilities Management; and Nancy Landrum, associate professor of management.

“The word ‘sustainable’ is a word I understand in more ways then I knew before the class,” Probst said. “To recycle and be green is a way of life, not just something we do because it is the right thing to do. To sustain our way of life we need to change our way of living. I learned and continue to learn. The class was great.”

The “Sustainable Systems at Work” discussion course was sponsored on campus by the UALR Sustainability Committee.